Fun Little Games Like “Find That Smell” and Other Joys of Life with a Toddler and a Puppy

Last Monday I woke up and the brilliant idea came over me that what this household really could use is one more blue-eyed brunette female needing things from me. You read that right. We got a puppy, another female in this house and likely a few more steps down my personal path to the loony bin.

Her name is Lucy and she really is just what our family needed (I think). It has been a year with no dog in our house since losing our little guy Rusty and I think everyone just had a little extra love to share that needed a home. We are finding that Lucy has plenty of it to give back too. The girls have a serious case of puppy love and when I think about Lucy being a part of our family as the girls grow up, it makes me smile.

True, even in one week I have questioned if we bit off a bit more than we can chew but then I remember that Lucy is happy to chew the rest. I can tell that she is going to be a great dog. She is gentle but playful smart and learning quickly. Another fun part about a new puppy is just in case I wasn’t already drowning in an ocean of ping and sparkle, Lucy has food and water bowls with hearts on them and a collar with pink trim. Basically what I am saying is, if any of you are going fishing or getting together to watch the game, give me a shout.

Realizing there is enough love to go around with some left over is pretty cool, deciding to share that love with a puppy is totally sweet.

Weak

No Lucy, No No Lucy, That’s not your toy, do that outside, drop it, stop chewing that shoe, where did you get those panties……..

I may have found the secret to parenting

Shoot me.

Yes, dear old dad, in his ever continued quest to be a hero to his girls and go for the gusto, may have just relived the banana split to-go moment only with much bigger consequences than an ice cream river running through a SUV. Don’t get me wrong, puppies are wonderful and so are toddlers. Much like vinegar and baking soda are both, for the most part, manageable on their own; puppies and toddlers are OK separately as well. Things get a bit more explosive when the two elements mix. For example: it is a great idea for us to decide that Lucy will not have any table food and we will stick to that, except our little one just gave her half of a grilled cheese sandwich just now. Unfortunately Usain Bolt couldn’t have gotten to Lucy before the sandwich was no more.

I am all for the notion that the best way to get used to the temperature of the water is to jump head first into the deep end rather than dipping in your toe. I also realize that sometimes that method causes you to come shooting out of the water with a scream and a shiver.

We will find a way to manage and there is a part of me that will love every minute but as Lucy discovers something new to get into every minute and our toddler works to finish up this potty training thing and start flying solo, I can’t help but wonder what we were thinking. It isn’t the toddler or the puppy’s fault that when combined they can become combustible. Toddler drops food, puppy eats food. Toddler leaves out toys, puppy eats toys. Puppy has accident in crate, toddler crawls in and doesn’t want to come out.

I love the feel of chaos when the primary ingredient is joy. Saturday morning, however, after the girls and puppy only being up for a couple of hours, our living room looked like, smelled like, and sounded like, the beginning of the movie Saving Private Ryan. For a split second I questioned our judgement but then I realized the toys can be put away and the messes can be cleaned up but the smiles and the laughter that was spilling in the room was a mess worth having. They are lucky that they are all so adorable.

It is worth it, but I am not naive (well maybe a little) I recognize that when your daughter wants to live in the dog crate and the puppy won’t stop trying to eat the fireplace, it is pretty weak.

Advertisements

Share this:

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

About Simon

I am a husband and a dad of two little girls. I am a lone Y chromosome and am already planning my escape strategy to deal with the estrogen flood that is on its way. People say there is a lot of joy to be found in the simple things and I have found they can provide a healthy dose of anti-awesome as well. I am, in general, a pretty optimistic guy and needed a bit of a creative outlet; so here it is. Thanks for stopping by.
View all posts by Simon

What a great post!! We at actually going through the same thing! My toddler is just potty training and we get out new puppy Henry, blankets toys on floor by toddler and Henry eats them etc etc….. But the way Henry loves my kids and us makes it all worth it! I do have one question….Henry (beagle) has a nipping issue. He doesn’t do it to me and my Hubby but to my toddler all the time. How to I stop this….any suggestions would be great!!
Good luck with your new addition!

Our first dog was like 6-7 when I was old enough to remember anything. By the time we got a new puppy, I had the privilege of experiencing it all a fresh. So much work! And they constantly try to eat things that can kill them. My parents new dog is small enough to fit in one arm and eats birds like it’s his job. Oh dogs, precious but so very difficult.

Babies and small animals are cute for one reason only – so we won’t kill them when they do all kinds of stuff to drive us nuts. Lucy is absolutely gorgeous. I always wanted a dog just like her, and the name is perfect. Have fun!

Good luck with the puppy. I love the contrast between the joy and the frustration of breaking in a new pet. She’s a doll. And this post so reminds me of something the guy from Marley and Me would write in his column. Not that you have a Marley situation on your hands…I hope. 🙂

I think the term is “glutton for punishment”, no? I fell into it, totally not intentionally, but bringing home our cat Milton was a brilliant move for me after a wife, two daughters, and three lady cats. Milton and I watch football and drink beer together.

Simon, great reading another post from you! That face – Lucy – so sweet and look as if she’ll be a great addition to your family. Your sweet little one in that crate — precious. I’m certain and you and yours and Lucy will adapt to one another just fine and soon, you’ll realize how you ever got along without her, despite the chew marks you’ll probably be discovering for months and months to come. All my children have paws so this doggie post is one I think is REALLY sweet.

I love Lucy! She’s a beauty and a great breed, I will not attempt to spell it here. I’ve missed you! I had an underpants eating dog and then he would puke them up around the neighborhood…no, no dignity left at all.

Love this! I smiled when reading as it brought back memories of my little one climbing into our dog crate for the first time and looking around as if to say ‘Yes this will do me just fine’ haha. Kids + dogs = awesome!

I was just about to complain that you aren’t showing up in my reader, then I realized that you’ve taken a bit of a blogation too. Welcome back, dear friend. I just returned this week as well. Have fun catching up. xo CCL

It really is like having another child, isn’t it? We had a dog for a whole eight days, until my husband discovered he was horribly allergic to it. We got suspicious when he had to drag out the inhaler he hadn’t used in years. My boys were not pleased, and they haven’t let my husband forget it to this day. 🙂

You, sir, are a brave man! We got a puppy two weeks ago and between the boyfriend and I our hands are full – I can’t image having the toddler to contend with as well. But both the puppy and your girls are awfully sweet! Good luck!

Call me when lucy moves on to eating the crate itself, leather belts, and electronic devices…yes, our family has THAT dog. A coonhound. But kids and dogs were meant to be together and a childhood without a dog is, in my opinion, not a true childhood. Carry on cleaning up!